Reversible disk-type plow



Dec. 20, 1949 J. 3. FULKERSQN REVERSIBLE DISK-TYPE PLOW 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 16, 1946 1949 J. c. FULKERSON 2,491,556

REVERS IBLE DISK-TYPE PLOW Filed April l6, 1946 a Shets-Sheet 2 FIGI 4G QIWW JEPH m Dec. 20, 1949 .J. c. FULKERSON REVERSIBLE DISK-TYPE PLOW 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 16, 1946 FIG. 5.

INVENTOR. JOSEPH c.- FULKERSON,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 20, 1949 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE H $91,55 7 REVERSIBLE nrsK- YrE PLow Joseph C. Fulkerson, Hereford, Tex. Application April s, 194 SerialNo. 662,557 7 This invention relates to earth tilling machines and more particularly to an improved disc-type:

plow.

An object of the invention is to provide a disc plow in which the upper frame and draft connebtions are mounted to turn apart from the lower frame carrying'the disc wheels so that the 2 Claims. (01 97-32) adjusting the degree and angle of cut, and which I is relatively light in weight and convenient to handle in operation.

" Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following descrip-" tion o'fa preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and

inwhich:

.Figurel is a plan view of the. improved device.

Figure 2 is a front in Figure 1. l '1 Figure 3 is a side elevation as seen from the leftside of' Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation as seen fromthe h right side of Figure 1.

1 Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the upper frame and draft connection in a partlyreversed position relative to the lower frame and discs, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the device completely reversed'from the position illustrated in Figure l. With continued reference to the drawings, the

improved, reversible plow comprises a lower frame In pivotally connected at its center to an upper frame 22 substantially at the center of the latter. The lower frame l0 comprises an elongated, centrally-disposed supporting member i2 extending longitudinally of the frame, reinforcing side members Mextending substantially parallel to the center member at respectively-oppo site sides of the latter and in spaced relationship thereto, and two or more spaced-apart bridging members l6 extending transversely of and firmly secured to the center member and the side members to provide a rigid, generally rectangular frame structure. Apertured hangers 8 depend from the center member of the lower frame and a bearing 6 is secured in the aperture in each A lower turn table ring I8 is secured to elevation of the device shown center member l2 ofthe lower frame with its center substantially coincident with the center ofthe re ctangular structure of the lower frame and anup'per turn table ring 20 is superimposed upon the lower ringlli and isrotatable relative to. the lower ring about an axis passingsubstan: tiallythrough the centers of both rings.

The upper ring 20 is secured to'the under side of the upperframe 22. This upper frame comprises a pair of spaced-apart, substantially parallel side'rnembers 24, end members 26 and 28 connected at their e'n'ds'to the ends of said side members at therespectively-opposite ends'of the frame,"anda center'member 30 extending longi tudinally of the frame between the side members 24 and secured at its opposite ends to theendmembers 26 and 28, respectively.

' The centermembers l2 and 30 of the upper and lower frames, respectively, are provided adjacent their mid-length locations with bearing apertures which register with each other when the frames are in assembled relationship, and a shaft 34 extends through these apertures topivotally interconnect the two frames.

,A semi-circular ring 32 is disposed on the top of the upper frame withits center of curvature substantially coincidental with the axis of p ivotal connection between the two frames and its open sidefaci'ng the end member 28 of the upper frame and this half-ring is secured to the center andside'members of the upper frame by suitable means, such as welding.

A; draft beam 36 isprovided' intermediate its length with anaperture receivingthe shaft 34 by means ofwhich the draft beam is pivotally con nected to theupper and lowerframes, a head or washer 38 being secured to the shaft above the draft beam to maintain the parts in assembled relationship;

This, draft beambears at its'rearward end 40 on,the:upperrsurface of the half-ring 32 for sliding movement therearound and extends from. shaft 34 to its opposite or frontend'a distance greaterpthanone halfthe length of the upper frame. 1

'Theside members. 24 extend beyond the end,

member ,28 of the upper frame; and :apair of. arcuately-curved'guide members 42Jand 44 are secured at their oppositeiends to the end portions of the side membersbeyond theend member 28.

These guidemembers are spaced outwardly from the end member 28 and areidisposed in uniformly, spaced-apart?relationhip to eachjother to provide aguidewayfor asleeycbnnected to the cur responding-'end ofthelowerframe An extension 56 from the adjacent end of the lower frame center member I2 is disposed at one end below the guides 42 and 44.

A sleeve 46 is disposed between the two guides 42 and 44 and has upper and lower annular flanges 58 thereon which contact the upper and lower edges of the guides to maintain the sleeve in the guideway. An extension 52 depends from the sleeve below the lower flange 56 and is secured at its upper end to the outer end of the extension 56 of the lower frame center member l2.

The sleeve extension 52 has in one side an elongated slot 54 extending from adjacent the lower sleeve flange 56 to the lower end of the extension and a vertical strut 58 is slidably mounted in the sleeve 45 and its depending extension 52. A wheel 6! is journaled on an angularly-disposed arbor 69 at the lower end of this strut to support the strut on the ground and the sleeve 46 is movable longitudinally of the strut, by a hand lever 68, to raise and lower the adjacent ends of the upper and lower frames. This hand lever is pivotally connected intermediate its length to the sleeve extension 52 [by a pivot pin 62. A pin 55 secured at one end to the strut 58 projects through slot 54 in the sleeve extension and is received at its opposite end in an elongated aperture 61 in the hand lever at a location spaced from pivot pin 62 so that movement of the lever about the pivot pin will raise and lower the sleeve 46 relative to the strut 58.

A toothed quadrant 63 is carried by the sleeve extension 52 and a detent, not illustrated, carried by the lever 60, engages the teeth of the quadrant to releasably lock the lever in adjusted position.

The draft beam 36 extends from the shaft 34 beyond the guide members, and somewhat beyond the outer guide member 44 is bent downward and then outward so that the downwardly-bent portion will clear the wheel 6|, and the outwardlybent portion is at the proper level for attachment to draft means, such as a farm tractor.

A link 68 is pivotally connected at One end to the outwardly-bent portion of the draft beam adjacent the downwardly-bent portion of the latter and is pivotally connected at its opposite end to the adjacent end of a second link 66, the opposite end of which is secured to a sleeve journaled on the strut 58 below the sleeve extension 52.

Two vertically-disposed sleeves Ill and '52 are secured to the nd member 26 of the upper frame near the respectively-opposite ends of such end member, and vertically-disposed struts 16 and 18 are slidably received in the sleeves 10 and 12, respectively.

Each of these struts has, at its lower end, an

. angularly-disposed arbor, a indicated at 82, and

wheels, as indicated at 84, are journaled on these arbors respectively to support the associated struts on the ground.

The struts 16 and 18 extend upwardly through the sleeves l0 and 12, respectively, and a toothed quadrant 88 is secured to each strut above the corresponding sleeve. A hand lever 90 is pivotally connected intermediate its length to each strut 76 and '53 above the associated sleeve and below the upper end of the strut. Links 94 are pivotally secured at their upper ends respectively to the levers 86 at corresponding ends of the levers, and these links are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the end member 26 of the upper frame, so that the sleeves Ill and 12 can be moved by the levers longitudinally of the struts l6 and 18 to raise and lower the corresponding ends of the 6 upper and lower frames. Suitable detents, not illustrated, are provided on the levers 80 to engage the teeth of the quadrants 88 and releasably secure the levers in adjusted positions.

Each of the sleeves l6 and 12 has in one side an elongated slot I4 opening to the lower end of the sleeve, and a pin 80 is secured at one end to each strut and projects through the corresponding slot 14, these pins serving to restrain the struts against rotation relative to the associated sleeves.

It will b noted that the pin 55 serves to restrain the strut 58 against rotation relative to the sleeve 46 as well as to provide a connection between the hand lever 66 and strut 58. The sleeve 46 is held against rotation or other movement relative to the center member of the lower frame, but its angular relationship to the center member of the upper frame will change slightly as the sleeve moves from one end of the guideway to the other.

The manner of reversing the plow is clearly illustrated in Figures 1, 5 and 6.

In Figure l, the draft beam 36 extends downwardly, indicating the corresponding direcion of movement of the plow. It will be noted that the two wheels 84 are at the left, and the single wheel (ii at the right. When the plow reaches the end of the furrow, the plow-pulling team or tractor is turned sharply around the single wheel end of the plow. Draft beam 36 swings about its pivotal connection with the upper and lower frames and links 56 and 68 buckle, permitting beam 36 to swing over sleeve 46, During this swinging movement of the draft beam from one side of the machine to the other, the connecting link 66 may first swing inwardly about the strut 58 until the link 63 comes into contact with the sleeve 65. Link 68 will then force the strut and sleeve 46 to that end of the guideway between guides 42 and 46 toward which the draft beam is swinging. Link 66 will then turn link 66 outwardly about the strut, the links clearing the wheel 6|, the lower frame and the discs 2. After the draft beam passes the sleeve 46, the links 66 and 68 straighten out and the plow is reversed and ready for operation in the corresponding direction, as indicated by the upwardly-extending direction of the draft beam in Figure 6.

The angular relationship between draft beam 86 and lower frame In carrying discs 2, is exactly the same in both Figures 1 and 6, so that the plow operates in the same manner in both directions of travel, always turning the furrows in the same direction and plowing the land level with no corners or ridges, so that the land can be easily irrigated and the need for harrowing is greatly minimized.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A disc type reversible plow comprising a rectangular lower frame, a shaft extending longitudinally of said lower frame and rotatably supported thereby, a plurality of discs secured on said shaft in spaced-apart, substantially co-axial relationship, an upper frame overlying said lower frame, means pivotally inter-connecting said upper and lower frames, 2. pair of spaced-apart struts secured to one end of said upper frame, ground-engaging wheels journaled respectively on said struts for supporting the adjacent ends of both of said frames, an arcuate guideway at the opposite end of said upper frame, a sleeve slidable in said guideway longitudinally thereof, a third strut extending through said sleeve, a ground-engaging wheel journaied on said third strut for supporting the adjacent ends of said upper and lower frames, means connecting said sleeve to the adjacent end of said lower frame to constrain said lower frame to turn relative to said upper frame about the pivotal connection between said frames when said sleeve moves in said guideway, a draft beam pivotally connected to said upper frame at a location spaced from said guideway for swinging movement from one side of said plow to the other whenever the direction of travel of said plow is reversed, and means connecting said draft beam to said sleeve to move said sleeve along said guideway from one operative position to its alternative operative position when said draft beam is swung from one to the opposite side of the plow to thereby maintain the proper angular relationship between said upper and lower frames for both directions of travel of the plow.

2. A disc-type plow comprising a lower rectangular frame, a shaft journaled at its ends in bearings secured to said frame, a plurality of discs secured in spaced-apart axially aligned relation on said shaft, an upper rectangular frame overlying said lower frame, means pivotally connecting said frames adjacent their centers, a guide ring on said lower frame centered on the axis of said frame-connecting means, a complementary guide ring on said upper frame, a pair of sleeves secured to one end of said upper frame, one adjacent each side of the latter, a respective strut in each sleeve, each strut having a bent lower end, a respective wheel joumaled on the lower end of each strut, an arcuate guideway at the opposite end of said upper frame, a sleeve slidable in said guideway, means rigidly connecting said slidable sleeve to said lower frame, a third strut extending through said slidable sleeve and having a bent lower end, a third wheel journaled on the lower end of said third strut, a draft beam pivotally secured adjacent one end thereof to said upper frame and shiftable between alternative operative positions of either side of said frame, and a pair of pivotally' joined links extending between said third strut and said draft beam intermediate the length of the latter to move said slidable sleeve through said guideway when said draft beam is shifted from one side to the other of said upper frame to maintain substantially the same angular relationship between said draft beam and said lower frame for both operative positions of said draft beam relative to said upper frame.

JOSEPH C. FULKERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 623,673 Kavanagh Apr. 25, 1899 769,167 Jobling Sept. 6, 1904 785,963 Manes Mar. 28, 1905 866,632 Dixon Sept. 24, 1907 929,070 Young July 2'7, 1909 945,274 Hangar Jan. 4, 1910 1,149,720 Brown Aug. 10, 1915 1,393,336 Barnes Oct. Ill, 1921 1,437,294 Dowdy Nov. 28, 1922 1,631,639 McDonald June 7, 1927 

